LeBron James, Dapper Dan, and More Come Together to Celebrate Harlem’s Fashion Row and an Impactful New Sneaker

It was a monumental night for Brandice Daniel. The founder of Harlem’s Fashion Row, an organization that helps empower young, multicultural designers, wasn’t only the host of her annual gala and fashion show, held this year inside downtown New York’s Capitale, she was also celebrating a partnership with Nike and none other than the GOAT, LeBron James. Three Harlem’s Fashion Row designers, Fe Noel, Undra Celeste, and Kimberly Goldson, who all showed their latest collections during the gala, helped to design James’s first signature women’s basketball shoe, which was unveiled at the end of the evening. Before the big reveal, James accepted the Harlem’s Fashion Row Icon 360 award, standing at the podium with his daughter Zhuri in his arms. He talked about the powerful African-American women in his life, including his mother and his wife, and why he wanted to create a shoe to help uplift women and highlight their incredible strength. At one point, he thanked his mother, Gloria James, for getting him to where he is today, in “a position where I can give back and showcase why I believe that African-American women are the most powerful women in the world.”

Ahead of James’s emotional speech and the debut of the new HFR x LeBron 16 sneaker, awards were doled out to some of the fashion industry’s most illustrious names. First, the HFR Stylist of the Year was awarded to Jason Rembert, who worked with Issa Rae on her wardrobe for the 2018 CFDA Awards, comprised of only African-American designers. Next came the HFR Trailblazer award, presented by Vogue’s Chioma Nnadi to activist Bethann Hardison. Dapper Dan received the Lifetime Maverick award, dressed, of course, in glittering Gucci and his signature oversize glasses. It was an evening filled with toasts and cheers to impactful voices, to beautiful design, and to women who, in the words of Nike’s new ad campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick, “believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”